Unit 15 We’re trying to save the manatees!

Part 1: Teaching design (第一部分：教學設計)

Structures: Review of structures

Target language: I think that animals should not live in zoos. I disagree with you. I feel that zoos provide clean and safe places for endangered animals to live.

Vocabulary: manatee, cheetah, kangaroo, chimpanzee, recycle, aquatic, habitat, gentle, aggressive, playful, furry, gray, enormous, strong, spotted, underwater, mangrove, vegetation, swamp, save, environment, educate, public, politely

Learning strategies: Classifying, Listening for specific information

Section A

Goals

● To review structures learned

● To listen and talk about animals

Procedures

Warming up by learning about animals

Animals are living things. Plants can make their own food or

energy from the light of the sun, but animals can't do this.

Animals have to eat plants or other animals to get energy to live.

Some animals eat only plants. We say that these animals are herbivores. Some animals eat onlymeat. We say that these animals are carnivores. Some animals eat both plants and meat. We say that these animals are omnivores. Plants can't move around, but most animals can move around. Animals are divided into groups.

1a Looking and describing

On page 118 in the picture you will see a zoo with animals and visitors. Now choose adjectives listed in the box to describe the six animals.

African elephants

Chimpanzees

Kangaroos Manatees

Cheetahs Polar bears

enormous

noisy playful gentle,

shy

spotted,

fast

Furry,

aggressive

1b Listening and circling

Victor and Ginny are talking about animals. They are describing them with many different words.

Now listen to their talk and circle the words used in 1a to describe the animals.

星沙英語網整理

Tapescript

Boy: Hey, Ginny. What’s that big, furry animal in the pond?

Girl: It’s a polar bear, Victor. They’re kind of aggressive.

Boy: Are they? Looks like they really love water.

Girl: Uh-huh.

Boy: And what do you call those big, gray things in the water?

Girl: They’re called manatees.

Boy: What?

Girl: Manatees. They’re very gentle and very shy.

Girl: They’re cheetahs. The cheetah is the fastest animal on earth

1c Doing groupwork

We humans are animals, too. So we are like animals in some ways. Now in groups of four, you are going to think of an animal that is the same as you are in some ways. Then you are to describe the animal and the others are to guess its name.

A: I am like this animal because I am strong and intelligent. I like water, and I like to eat vegetables.

B: You’re like an elephant.

A: No.

B: You’re like a manatee.

A: Yes!

A: I am like this animal because I am heavy and enormous. I like forests, and I like to go around the mountain.

B: You’re like a chimpanzee.

A: No.

B: You’re like an elephant.

A: Yes!

A: I am like this animal because I like spotted clothing and I run the fastest in my school.

B: You’re like a manatee.

A: No.

B: You’re like a cheetahs.

A: Yes!

2a Listening and matching

A boy is asking a man about animals he likes.

Tapescript

Boy: Can you tell us about the manatees, please?

Man: Sure. We’re trying to save them.

Boy: Why? Are they endangered?

Man: Yes. There used to be a lot of manatees, but now there aren’t very many of them.

Boy: Do you know how many there are?

Man: At this point, there are only about 2, 500 in the U.S. In 1927, it was discovered that they were endangered. Since then, the government has passed laws to protect them.

Boy: Where do they live?

Man: Their favorite habitat is the water under the trees in mangrove swamps.

Boy: And why are they endangered?

Man: Some of the swamps have become polluted. Also, there sometimes isn’t enough food for all of them. As you can see, they’re large. The average manatee is about ten feet long and weighs about 1, 000 pounds. They need about 100 pounds of aquatic feed a day.

Boy: Aquatic feed?

Man: Oh, that’s underwater plants and vegetation. That’s what they eat.

Now listen to their talk and match the words with the definitions in the box on page 119.

1. endangered →b. there aren’t very many of them.

2. mangrove swamps → d. a place where trees grow in water

3. habitat → a. the place where something lives

4. aquatic feed → underwater plants and vegetation

2b Listening and completing

Next you are going to complete the chart on page 119 in the middle. Listen to the talk once more for the necessary information.

Kind of animal Manatee

Number 2,500 in the US

Habitat the water under the trees in

mangrove swamps

Reason why they are endangered Some of the swamps have become polluted. Also, there sometimes isn’t enough food for all of them.

description The average manatee is about

ten feet long and weighs about

1, 000 pounds. They need

about 100 pounds of aquatic feed a day.

In the end you are going to read the tapescript. While reading, you must try to blacken all the predicates, underline all the expressions and circle all the connectives.

2c Doing pairwork

You are going to interview a zoo attendant. Now use the facts from above activities to role play a conversation between you and the attendant.

A: How big are manatees?

B: They’re about 10 feet long and they weigh about 1,000 pounds.

A: How much do they eat everyday?

B: They need about 100 pounds of aquatic feed a day.

A: What is Aquatic feed?

B: It is underwater plants and vegetation.

A: That’s what they eat?

B: Yes, it is.

A: Are manatees endangered?

B: Yes, they are endangered. But, we’re trying to save them.

A: Wait a moment. Why are they endangered?

B: Because their homes are disappearing.

A: Where do they live?

B: They live in the swamps. And they have become polluted. They are endangered also because there sometimes isn’t enough food for all of them.

A: I am sorry to hear that. There used to be a lot of manatees, but now there aren’t very many of them left, I think.

B: You are right. At this point, there are only about 2, 500 in the

U.S.

A: Are there any laws to protect them.

B: Since 1927 laws have been passed protect them.

A: Thank you for your information.

3a Reading and underlining

Turn to page 120. Disgusted has written a letter to the editor. Now read it to underline the reasons why Disgusted is opposed to zoos. While reading remember to box all the connectives, blacken all the predicates. That’s grammar study.

Dear Editor,

I am writing to say that I am against building a new zoo in our town. Zoos are terrible places for animals to live. I've visited a lot of zoos in my life, and I have never seen one I liked or one that was suitable for animals to live in. Just last week, I visited a zoo and couldn’t believe what I saw. The animals are kept in tiny cages and can hardly move at all. And they are only given food once a day. Is this a good way for animals to live? I don't think so.

Sincerely

Disgusted

3b Reading and writing

A man called Animal Friend wrote a letter to the editor, too. Now read this letter on 120. While reading, underline all the expressions, box all the connectives, and blacken all the predicates. That’s grammar study, too.

Dear Editor.

I visited our zoo yesterday and I was very surprised to find hardly anyone there. Zoos are very important places. They are like living textbooks for young people. They provide homes for many endangered animals, and help to educate the public about caring for them. If we don’t support our zoos, they won't have enough money to take care of so many fine animas. I urge all of your readers to visit our wonderful zoo soon.

Sincerely, Animal friend

4 Debating

Next we are going to have a new activity-to debate.

Let’s make two teams. Team A is to debate against keeping animals in the zoos, and Team B is to debate for keeping animals in the zoos for protection and education of the people.

Useful expressions

I think that… I agree with you.

I believe that… I disagree with you.

I feel that… I agree with…

A: I think that animals should not live in the zoos.

B: I disagree with you. I feel that zoos provide clean and safe places for endangered animals to live.

A: I don’t think so.

B: A zoo is a place where many different species of animal are kept and usually can be seen by members of the public.

A: Why can people go and see the animals in the forest?

B: In that case, more harm will be done to the animals.

A: Kept in the zoos animals are losing their natural nature of living.

B: Most modern zoos are also centers where animals are studied so that more animals in the forest could be saved and protected.

A: Some rare animals are dying out.

B: Yes, they are. Rare animals could be preserved when they are in danger of dying out.

A: You are right in saying that. But I still think that it is not right to put animals in the zoos. They belong to the forest, the river, the sky and the sea.

Closing by learning about Brown Eared-pheasant（褐馬雞）

To end this period we shall turn our attention to a rare animal found almost only in Shanxi, China, Brown Eared-pheasant, or褐馬雞 in Chinese.

This species qualifies as Vulnerable because it may have a small population, and although its numbers within protected areas appear to be stable, elsewhere remaining unprotected and isolated populations are declining (potentially rapidly) through ongoing habitat loss and hunting.